1/7/14

2013 - some thoughts (part 1: TV)


Well, after spending years of no reading, I had some catch up to do. So I started last Christmas with some 2012 YA books, then thanks to my beloved Cybook Odyssey (and now my Kindle Paperwhite) and my credit card I bought more books in one year than I did for the last 5 years. And I read.
I discovered authors and read some books I had wanted to read for a long time… During the year, I read mostly YA, SF, Fantasy and MM Romance books but right now I try to diversify my readings (not an easy one). I know I should try poetry but maybe I am not ready yet. I am addicted to romance in a way: I need sentiments and strong feelings. I need a book to give me strong reactions: to make me laugh, cry, fear and fall in love with the characters… And I love a good, political, manipulative plot. (And I love hot male character too) so I think I will stick to fiction, (MM) romance and SF for a while…
The only difference would be reading less YA than I used to. I think during this year, I shifted from YA to something more adult. Well, I keep reading YA but I feel like reading something else now (I may be a little more a grown-up now, it was time).
This year was also the year of some changes like be back to some physical activities: I did some hiking in Japan, then I dared going into the gym (at the hotel while in work missions) and since September I go to swimming-pool and Zumba every week. Even if I haven’t lost any weight, I feel better (well, my BMI still says I am an obese but I consider it being a bitch). I know I should go to a gym but it is too expensive and furthermore there are none close to work/home…
I sadly stopped drawing as I don’t have enough time to do all the things I want to do (and even the ones I don’t but have to), I still haven’t used my sewing machine I bought in 2011, I still can’t write (my brain is still moribund). My flat is still the reflection of my inner self: chaotic, there is no way someone can walk in. I am still depressed and still under medications but it is lighter than it used to be.
Thanks to Deezer, music also came back into my life. I work with music, so work did not improve but is a little bit more bearable. This means this year I will have more than one 2013 list: not only cinema but music, TV and books! There will be old stuff but for me they are attached to 2013 as the Beginning of Change.
2014 would be the continuity of this year, I hope, like stopping the treatment, losing weight, being able to write reviews in English, drawing and writing, getting a proper flat.
So, let’s start with the 2013 TV list:
First, I mostly watch my series in DVD/BR set because I don’t have time to watch TV during the week and catch-up TV is only in French, so I usually wait for the DVD sets price to be OK with my funds (excepting for Doctor Who). Furthermore, I did some catch-up in 2013, so there some oldies in the list:
·         Firefly (Completed): yep. I hadn’t seen it before. Sorry, Whedon fan, even if I truly appreciate the universe and can praise the technical quality of the show, I haven’t been completely taken by the plot. I didn’t get why this show has so many fans… but congrats on the ideas and the realization.
·         The Big Bang Theory S4: nothing new, starts boring me. Maybe I will stop buying those DVD sets. Mum will be sad
·         Pretty Little Liars S1:  I don’t know if I liked it. I thought I liked it but now, I am not sure anymore. I don’t care so I think I won’t follow this one either.
·         Downtown Abbey S1 & S2: An unusual TV show. I wasn’t sure to like it, but it worked pretty well. I will keep watching it.
·         Chuck S4 (Completed): I bought the last DVD set of this show. It was cool and fun, not exceptional. Liked the end (I like when TV series have an end).
·         Fringe S4 & S5 (Completed):  I had to watch the end of S4 because I never had the opportunity before and I watched the final season when I came back from Mexico. S5 was strange, completely different from the other seasons but I liked it –a lot. Seeing a last time Bolivia, Lee and September, even if I think I found scenario incoherencies I accept them because they lead to a True Happy Ending and I love True Happy Ending (but I don’t like Common and Easy Happy Ending). I loved the actor performance of Anna Torv, the realization and the ideas in this show.
·         True Blood S4: I am late on this one (I already have the 2 next seasons in my wishlist but I am not in a hurry). I used to like the show, but I don’t know. I got bored.
·         Doctor Who S7, The Snowmen, The Night of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor: 2013, being the 50th anniversary of the longest Sci-Fi TV show, was rich in Doctor Who. I have issues with series 7. It was uneven. Some good, very good episodes with very bad ones. Realization upgraded during the last years but it was clearly obvious with season 7. In France, the good news was that French diffusion is now synchronized with UK diffusion (and not with one year delay which made me buy my DVD sets on Amazon.co.uk with awful delivery charges and taxes). Happily this year clarified a dark point of the past of the Doctor, and I loved it. We saw the regeneration of the 8th Doctor to the 8.5th and the 8.5th to 9th… 2 regenerations, well, wait. No, 3 regeneration in the same year (we will have 11th to 12th for the Christmas Special). Good Doctor Who year, I should upload my pics of Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman from the 50th Anniversary celebration.
·         Game of Throne S1, S2 & S3: I never had the time to watch it properly. It’s done. It is one of the best current TV shows, if not the best. The quality of this show is undeniable; it’s like cinema budget for TV with a strong plot, true epic battles, good characters, deaths, political plots, costumes, good actors… well this TV show will be The Reference for a long time.
·         Real Humans S1: Another fav this year. This Swedish show is amazingly good and surprising. Can’t wait to see S2.
·         Grimm S1: another old one. Loved the plot and secondary characters (Monroe, Rosalee) and the main char is just hot, so it’s Ok. It’s my guilty pleasure, I will see season 2.
·         Homeland S1: started it in 2012 but saw it entirely this year. I knew I loved Damian Lewis and Claire Danes, and I love the plot, so I will keep following this one
·         Revenge S1: saw most of S1, got bored in the process. Maybe the guilt is on TF1 which showed 3 episode in a raw on Wednesday night starting at 11pm… I almost never saw the last one and I stopped watching it but I am still curious.
·         The Walking Dead S1, S2 & S3: I did a walking dead marathon and even if zombies are not my favorite theme, I love dystopian and apocalyptic universe and here also the TV show is really good. I love the characters and the plot.
Looking forward 2014, I still have some catch-up to do, new seasons of TV show I already follow. I will do a marathon from the beginning for Breaking Bad. And I did a selection of TV shows based on the scenario in September (not knowing if they will work or not):
  • Vikings
  • The Tomorrow People
  • The 100
  • The black list
  • Almost Human
  • Mind Game

And of course Sherlock S3!!!!

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